1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an input device utilizing a virtual keyboard which enables desired data to be input into a portable personal computer, etc., by designating at least one input-position corresponding to at least one key indicated in an image of a key arrangement displayed on a display means, by means of a designating means, e.g., a write-pen.
More specifically, the present invention relates to an input device utilizing a virtual keyboard, by which an operator, especially a beginner can easily carry out input operations of various data without repeatedly depressing keys on a real keyboard.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, computer systems have become more compactness, smaller in size, and lighter in weight, as represented by portable personal computers. To deal with this trend, a pen-type portable computer has been developed and has begun to be produced, in which a real keyboard is not provided at all, and in which data input operations can be carried out by utilizing a virtual keyboard displayed on a screen of a display means, i.e., a display unit and a write-pen of small size.
More specifically, in the case where an operator or a user would like to process given data in a pen-type portable computer, first of all, the operator or the user has a virtual keyboard displayed as an image of a key arrangement on a screen of a display unit such as a liquid crystal display unit. Next, the operator or the user designates key positions by touching the virtual keyboard with a write-pen, etc., and inputs characters, etc., corresponding to the data to the computer.
In such a construction having an input device utilizing the above-mentioned virtual keyboard, it is unnecessary to provide a real mechanical keyboard having a relatively large size as an input device in the body of the computer. Therefore, the overall size and total weight of the pen-type computer can be reduced. Further, since it is unnecessary to operate a real keyboard by executing key strokes many times in accordance with the given data, even a beginner can rapidly input data by an easy operation of a write-pen, etc.
For example, when a transport company is ordered to transport a certain load, an employee of the transport company can take a pen-type computer with him or her to a place where the load is actually placed, and immediately make an estimate for transporting the load by using the pen-type computer.
However, in such a pen-type computer having an input device utilizing the virtual keyboard of the prior art, it was substantially impossible for an operator, etc., to simultaneously designates two different key positions on the virtual keyboard with a write-pen, etc., corresponding to the simultaneous strokes of two different keys in a real keyboard of a thumb-shift key system utilizing simultaneous operations of shift keys by thumbs and character keys by other fingers.
Here, to enable a problem regarding a conventional pen-type computer having an input device utilizing a virtual keyboard to be understood more clearly, a concrete configuration of a real keyboard in a desk-type computer, etc., and a virtual keyboard in a pen-type computer according to a prior art will be described with reference to the related drawings of FIGS. 1A and 1B. In this case, a configuration of a real keyboard and a virtual keyboard each utilizing operations of a left-shift key and a right-shift key by thumbs to input Chinese representatively.
FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram showing an arrangement of a real keyboard according to a prior art; FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram showing an arrangement of a virtual keyboard according to a prior art.
In the real keyboard of FIG. 1A, only an arrangement of head consonants each of which is respectively positioned in a first position of a syllable in Chinese (hereinafter, each of these consonants will be referred to as "Seibo") is illustrated.
In this figure, 100 denotes a real keyboard in a computer; 101 denotes lefthand keyboard portion in which an input operation of data is carried out by a left hand of an operator; 102 denotes a righthand keyboard portion in which an input operation of data is carried out by a right hand of the operator; and 103 denotes a left-shift key and 104 denotes a right-shift key. The left-shift key and the right-shift key are respectively depressed by thumbs of the left hand and the right hand. Further, among a number of character keys on the lefthand keyboard portion 101 and the righthand keyboard portion 102, a d-key indicating a "Seibo" of a character d is particularly defined by the reference numeral 105.
For example, in FIG. 1A, in the case where a "Seibo" indicated by a character d is to be input to the computer, a stroke of only d-key 105 is executed by depressing the d-key 105. On the other hand, when simultaneous strokes of d-key 105 and the left-shift key 103 are executed, phonetic information indicated by two characters "di" is input to the computer. Here, the character i in a second position of the characters "di" is equivalent to one of semivowels inserted between a "Seibo" and a vowel (hereinafter, each of these semivowels will be referred to as "Kaion"). Namely, by simultaneously depressing d-key 105 and the left-shift key 103, a combination of the "Seibo" indicated by the character d and the "Kaion" indicated by the character i is input.
Also, when simultaneous strokes of d-key 105 and the right-shift key 104 are executed, phonetic information indicated by two characters "du" is input to the computer. Namely, by simultaneously depressing d-key 105 and the right-shift key 104, a combination of the "Seibo" indicated by the character d and the "Kaion" indicated by the character u is input.
In the virtual keyboard of FIG. 1B, only an arrangement of head consonants in Chinese ("Seibo") is displayed on a display unit. In this figure, 110 denotes a display unit, e.g., a liquid crystal display unit in a computer; 111 denotes virtual keyboard which is displayed as an image of a key arrangement equivalent to the arrangement of the real keyboard on a display unit 110; and 112 denotes a write-pen functioning as a designating means. When an operator designates a key position by touching a specified key on the virtual keyboard 111 with the write-pen 112, a character corresponding to the specified key is input to the computer.
In this figure, 114 denotes a virtual left-shift key and 115 denotes a virtual right-shift key. These virtual left-shift key 114 and right-shift key 115 are respectively equivalent to the left-shift key 103 and right-shift key 104 in the real keyboard 100, and are displayed on the display unit 110, similar to the virtual keyboard 111. Further, among a number of character keys on the virtual keyboard 111, a virtual d-key indicating a "Seibo" of a character d is particularly defined by the reference numeral 113.
For example, in FIG. 1B, when the virtual d-key 113 is touched with a write-pen 112, a "Seibo" indicated by a character d is easily input into the computer. On the other hand, in the case where phonetic information indicated by two characters "di" is to be input to the computer, the operator first designates the position of the virtual left-shift key 114 with the write-pen 112, and subsequently designates the virtual d-key 113 with the same write-pen 112. Also, in the case where phonetic information indicated by two characters "du" is to be input to the computer, the operator designates the position of the virtual right-shift key 115 with the write-pen 112 at first, and subsequently designates the virtual d-key 113 with the same write-pen 112.
In other words, in the case where a combination of the "Seibo" and the "Kaion" indicated by two characters is input to the computer by utilizing the virtual keyboard, it is necessary for the operator to designate the virtual key positions by carrying out touch-operations twice.
As apparent from the above-mentioned explanation with reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B, in an input device utilizing a virtual keyboard of the prior art, two different key positions corresponding to two keys such as a virtual shift key and a virtual d-key cannot be simultaneously designated by one touch-operation with a write-pen, unlike the case of a real keyboard of a thumb-shift key system. Therefore, the input device utilizing a virtual keyboard of the prior art has a problem in that it becomes rather troublesome to input various codes, e.g., characters, which are not indicated by a key arrangement on the virtual keyboard by using a left-shift key or a right-shift key.